Size Range Research Articles

Ecological and social drivers of Mexican Wolf home range size across spatiotemporal scales

Ecological and social drivers of Mexican Wolf home range size across spatiotemporal scales

Evolution of pore structure and cement composition during weathering of conglomerate at Mogao Grottoes in alkaline and arid regions, NW China

Numerous conglomerate grottoes have been excavated and preserved in the arid and alkaline regions of NW China. After millennia of weathering, these conglomerate grottoes have suffered from various weathering issues (such as seepage and collapse) that are internally governed by the distribution of pore networks and the degree of cementation. However, studies on conglomerate weathering have mostly been reported in humid and tropical climates, where intensive chemical weathering occurs. Additionally, characterizations of pore evolution during conglomerate weathering have been restricted due to limitations in detecting pore size and pore type using a single pore characterization method. To fill this gap, this study jointly used mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and computed tomography (CT) to characterize the pore evolution process during conglomerate weathering at Mogao Grottoes, a world heritage site in NW China. Mineralogical, hydrological, mechanical and microscopic characterization were also conducted to understand the changes in compositions of bulk samples and cements during weathering. Results revealed that the majority of pores in conglomerate are concentrated in macropores > 5 μm, followed by mesopores and micropores. During weathering, volume fraction of macropores significantly increases and that of micropores decreases, with median/average pore diameters experiencing an 8- to 10-fold increase. Permeability, porosity and fractal dimension exhibited strong positive linear correlations with median/average pore diameters. Throughout weathering, the abundances of calcite and clay minerals show notable decrease, particularly in cements, resulting in an enrichment of feldspars. Frequently occurring sand-carrying wind activities and salt weathering in arid regions are inferred to be responsible for the major cement loss and porosity generation through physical processes. Our combined MIP-CT method for pore network characterization is also applicable to other lithologies with a wide range of pore sizes. The proposed mechanism of pore evolution and cementation failure provides a scientific base for protecting stone heritages in arid zones.

Liquid and gas permeabilities of nanostructured layers: Three-dimensional lattice Boltzmann simulation

Liquid water and gas permeabilities in nanostructured catalyst layers (CLs) (pore size ∼10–150 nm) and microporous layers (MPLs) (pore size ∼50 nm-5 μm) are crucial to reduce the mass transport loss in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Experimental measurement of their permeabilities poses great challenges due to their brittle and thin characteristics. Presently, considerable discrepancy exists in the reported permeability values for CLs and MPLs in the literature with variation spanning several orders of magnitude. This study digitally reconstructed various nanostructures of similar pore size as CLs and MPLs to calculate their permeabilities using the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) based on no-slip (e.g. for liquid water flow in MPL and CL's secondary pores) or slip condition (e.g. for gas flow in MPL). Analysis was performed to evaluate the range of pore size in nanostructures for the two boundary conditions. A comprehensive investigation was conducted under various parameters such as the Reynolds number (Re), sphere diameter, porosity, and pore structure. The results revealed that permeability exhibits an increasing trend with the diameter and porosity. The predicted permeability of randomly arranged spheres agrees well with established correlations. The random sphere structure demonstrates higher permeability than their body-centered cubic (BCC) and face-centered cubic (FCC) counterparts. Under slip boundary condition, the permeability was enhanced, compared to the no-slip condition. This study's novelty lies in using distinct boundary conditions to assess the permeabilities of liquid and air, based on flow pattern analysis in the CL and MPL pore structures. A new empirical correlation describing the influence of the Knudsen number (Kn) on the slip permeability was developed, exhibiting consistency with simulation across the entire porosity spectrum.

Data Science Enables Management of Stealth Asphaltene Flow-Assurance Risk

_ This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 216216, “Managing Stealth Asphaltene Flow-Assurance Potential Risk in Gas-Injection Field Based on Data Science Using Over 20-Year Accumulated Data Set,” by Hideharu Yonebayashi, SPE, and Takeshi Hiraiwa, SPE, Japan Oil Development, and Khuloud T. Al Khlaifi, SPE, ADNOC, et al. The paper has not been peer reviewed. _ Gas injection is recognized generally not only to improve oil recovery but also to increase the risk of asphaltene destabilization. The recent discovery of asphaltene deposits in a subject field motivated the operator to launch an immediate investigation to evaluate what critical risks might exist and consider appropriate mitigation. It was found that precipitated but invisible asphaltenes still can be flowable. This stealth asphaltene behavior could explain a possible mechanism of the first asphaltene observation in the upper reservoir. Introduction The subject giant offshore field in the Arabian Gulf has not experienced asphaltene-induced production deterioration during long-term lean hydrocarbon gas injection. The gas has been injected into the crestal area of two reservoirs (upper and lower) with peripheral powered seawater injection. Both reservoir fluids contain a small amount of asphaltenes (0.1–1.5 wt%) distributed at higher concentration at deeper locations. In May 2022, the first discovery of asphaltene deposits from the historical no-issued area in the upper reservoir motivated an immediate investigation for risk assessment and mitigation. A resulting study captured stealth asphaltenes, which were detected by a laser-light-scattering technique while high-pressure microscopy detected no visible asphaltene solid particles. Historical Asphaltene Data Accumulation The permeability range and pore-throat size of the subject field are relatively low in the lower reservoir compared with the upper. Both reservoirs are under highly unstable asphaltene-stability conditions. The reservoir pressure-maintenance scheme, consisting of dump-floodwater injection followed by peripheral powered seawater injection and crestal gas injection, however, has maintained asphaltene-free production except for the gas-injection pilot (GIP) during 2005–2009. No asphaltenes have been observed in the crestal gas-injection area; however, asphaltene deposits were observed in the GIP area in 2007. The injected gas was enriched gradually by a vaporizing gas-drive process. The previous studies involving numerical modeling analysis and laboratory experiments reported that enriched hydrocarbon gas can more easily allow asphaltene precipitation compared with lean hydrocarbon gas. GIP Asphaltene Risk Analysis (Upper Reservoir). In 2009, an asphaltene flow-assurance risk evaluation was conducted using the single-phase bottomhole sample collected from Well 6, which is 90 ft shallower that the GIP area and far from the crestal gas-injection area. Therefore, the Well 6 reservoir fluid was not affected by injection gas. The bottomhole condition of the GIP production well was entered into the asphaltene precipitation envelope (APE) that was expanded by injection-gas enrichment but never covered by the APE without an enrichment process. Latest Laboratory Analysis (Lower Reservoir). In 2022, an asphaltene flow-assurance risk evaluation was conducted. After the location was narrowed to a depth range, Well 1 was selected by taking an asphaltene gradient into account.

Microbial biosurfactant-mediated green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and exploring their role in enhancing chickpea and rice seed germination

Malnutrition is one of the greatest challenges faced by humanity, which may be addressed by improving crop productivity to ensure food security. However, extensive use of synthetic fertilizers can lead to soil fertility degradation. This study highlights the potential of combining nanotechnology with biotechnology to enhance the germination rates of commercially important crop seeds. Bacterial biosurfactant extracted from a newly isolated Klebsiella sp. strain RGUDBI03 was used as a reducing and capping agent for the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) through a simple method. Extensive characterization of ZnO NPs through electron microscopic analysis showed well-dispersed, homogeneous NPs with a size range of 2–10 nm. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) images also revealed molecular fringes of 0.26 nm in single crystal ZnO NPs, with approximately 50% of the NPs exhibiting a size range of 2–4 nm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results of ZnO NPs indicated the presence of (100), (002), (101), (102), (200), and (112) planes, confirming their crystalline nature. The presence of C = C–H, C = C, C–H, and C = C groups in both the bacterial biosurfactant and ZnO NPs, as depicted by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra, confirmed the function of the biosurfactant as a reducing and capping agent. The nano-primed chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and rice (Oryza sativa) seeds showed an increase in water uptake rate, 89% and 92% respectively, compared to the control (73% and 44%), leading to an enhanced germination rate of 98% and 76%, compared to their respective controls (80% and 30%) under optimized conditions. Additionally, the nano-primed seeds exhibited higher levels of α-amylase activity in both seeds (0.37 mg/g for chickpea and 2.49 mg/g for rice) compared to the control. Notably, the ZnO NP priming solution exhibited no cytotoxicity on red blood cells and earthworms (Eudrilus eugeniae), indicating their non-cytotoxic and eco-friendly nature for future field trials.

The Effect of Lifting Straps on the Prediction of the Maximal Neuromuscular Capabilities and 1 Repetition Maximum During the Prone Bench Pull Exercise.

Miras-Moreno, S and García-Ramos, A. The effect of lifting straps on the prediction of the maximal neuromuscular capabilities and 1 repetition maximum during the prone bench pull exercise. J Strength Cond Res 38(11): e638-e644, 2024-This study examined the effects of using lifting straps in the prone bench pull exercise on (a) the magnitude of the load-velocity (L-V) relationship variables (load-axis intercept, velocity-axis intercept, and area under the L-V relationship line) and (b) the accuracy of the L-V relationship in predicting the 1 repetition maximum (1RM). In a counterbalanced sequence, 20 resistance-trained male subjects performed 2 identical experimental sessions, 1 with and 1 without lifting straps. During each session, subjects sequentially lifted 4 loads (14 kg, 85% 1RM, and 2 intermediate loads), followed by 1RM attempts. The L-V relationship was modelled using both multiple-point (4 loads) and 2-point (14 kg-85% 1RM) methods, whereas 3 types of minimal velocity thresholds (MVT) were used for 1RM prediction: (a) general MVT (averaged across the subjects velocity of the 1RM trial), (b) individual MVT (individual velocity of the 1RM trial), and (c) average optimal MVT (averaged across the subjects velocity that eliminates the differences between the actual and predicted 1RM). Irrespective of lifting straps use, which had no impact on the L-V relationship or the accuracy of 1RM prediction, we observed: (a) greater L-V relationship variables when obtained by the 2-point method compared with the multiple-point method (p < 0.001; effect size range = 0.353-0.639) and (b) the lowest absolute errors (<4.0 kg) in 1RM prediction for the 2-point method combined with the average optimal MVT (p < 0.001). These results reinforce the 2-point method applied in field conditions and the average optimal MVT for the routine testing of the L-V relationship.

An ecoregion-based approach to evaluate invasive plant species pools

Invasive alien species are an important component of global change, threatening biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, economy, and human health. The number of alien species that attain the invasive status has experienced an exponential increase in recent years, leading some government agencies and stakeholders to allocate substantial resources to early detection, control, mitigation, and eradication programs. To develop effective nature conservation strategies, it is crucial to understand the invasive status of alien species and to identify priority species for management at spatial scales with a biogeographical basis. Despite significant progress in producing lists of alien species at the country level, a standard methodology for species assessment within ecological regions (i.e., regions with similar environmental or biogeographical characteristics) is still lacking. Here, we develop a systematic approach to determine invasion status and to prioritize invasive alien plant species within an ecoregion. We apply this approach in the Cantabrian Mixed Forests ecoregion, which encompasses biogeographically related areas from N Portugal, NW Spain, and SW France, and is strongly affected by plant invasions. By combining scientific evidence with expert opinion on the ecological characteristics of alien plants, we identified 175 invasive plant species in the study ecoregion, of which 37 cause massive environmental and/or socio-economic impacts. For each species, we provide comprehensive information and recommendations for scientists, land managers, policy makers, and other stakeholders under a biogeographical basis. This information includes species characteristics, invasion status/level, population trends, geographic locations and range size, local abundance, environmental and socio-economic impacts, and invaded habitats. We also accounted for administrative divisions within the ecoregion to facilitate the use of such evaluations in local-scale management and conservation plans. Our framework may be applied to any ecoregion worldwide, enhancing the assessment and management of invasive species pools within biogeographically meaningful regions.

Microencapsulation of Hibiscus sabdariffa extract in taro starch: Determination of optimal conditions of bioactive compound retention using response surface methodology.

Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) extract contains a large amount of bioactive compounds with antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, and antihypertensive effects. The extraction of total phenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins is more efficient at boiling temperature (~91 °C) than that performed at room temperature (~27 °C). In this study, a central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was used to optimize the inlet temperature conditions of a spray dryer and the concentration of taro starch solids to obtain microcapsules with the highest retention of bioactive compounds in hibiscus extracts. Optimized microcapsules (OM) were obtained at an inlet temperature of 118 °C and solid concentration of 26.5 %. Low moisture content (4.54 %) and water activity (0.2) and high content of total phenols (3374.91 mg GAE/100 g), flavonoids (372.81 mg QE/100 g), monomeric anthocyanins (36.74 mg C-3-GE/100 g), and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity (80.01 %), were determined in OM using response surface methodology. OM showed a range of spherical agglomerate sizes (10--32 μm). These results indicate that CCRD is a good tool for establishing the optimal conditions for solid concentration and drying temperature to maximize the protection of bioactive compounds using taro starch as the wall material.

Preparation, Characterization and Conductivity of SiO2 doped rGO-WO3 Composite for Battery Application

High-performance solid polymer electrolytes are regarded as one of the most promising materials to be used in the development of lithium ion batteries with improved extended life, increased recyclability and increased safety for electric vehicles and energy storage. In this work, a microwave-assisted hydrothermal technique was used to produce SiO2-doped rGO-WO3 composite, which possesses outstanding supercapacitor capabilities. This method is simple, low-cost method without using any other capping and reducing agents. The obtained SiO2 doped rGO-WO3 composite structural, morphology and components have been examined by XRD, FT-IR, FE-SEM, TEM, EDX, UV-visible techniques. It was found that the SiO2 doped rGO-WO3 composite well crystalline and the size range is about 20-30 nm. The SEM morphology results showed that the nanoparticles were stabilized by rGO, having cavity like structure and randomly distributed on the rGO-WO3 matrix. The solid state electrolyte revealed superior lithium ion transference number and cyclic stability. The SiO2 doped rGO-WO3 composite shows improved ionic conductivity of 2.74 × 10-5 S cm-1 at room temperature.

The impact of coral reef habitat and microbial abundance status on sponge-associated prokaryotic communities

AbstractSponges are one of the oldest lineages of animals on Earth and play key roles in shaping marine ecosystems. They are diverse, with more than 9600 species known to science, and come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and colours. Sponges are, furthermore, known to host diverse communities of microbial symbionts, which play important roles in their physiology and ecology. In the present study, we sampled prokaryotic communities from 24 sponge species inhabiting coral reef flat and slope habitats off the coast of SW Celebes (Indonesia) in addition to sediment and seawater. The prokaryotic profiles of several sponge species were characterised for the first time. In line with previous studies, we revealed pronounced variation in diversity and composition among species with high microbial abundance (HMA) or low microbial abundance (LMA) status playing an important role in structuring prokaryotic communities across host sponge species. In addition to this, reef habitat (flat versus slope) also played a significant role in structuring prokaryotic communities. Most species in the reef slope habitat housed prokaryotic communities with a consistent profile of several cyanobacterial and prokaryotic OTUs, whereas these OTUs were largely absent from sponges inhabiting the reef flat habitat. Instead, they tended to house highly abundant bacterial populations related to the Synechococcus spongiarum group. We propose that specific strains of S. spongiarum may play a key role in enabling their host sponges to survive in an, otherwise, inhospitable environment (e.g., high irradiance and temperature) and, thus, help to explain differences in sponge composition between coral reef flat and slope habitats.

Investigating the Performance of Glass Fibre-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) in the Marine Environment for Tidal Energy: Velocity, Particle Size, Impact Angle and Exposure Time Effects

Tidal energy, with its potential to provide a consistent energy output and reduce carbon emissions, has garnered significant interest. This study, which evaluates the performance of tidal turbine blades in seawater conditions and with sand particles, presents a novel approach. A slurry rig was developed to examine composite materials, and a glass fibre-reinforcement polymeric material was tested over a range of particle sizes, velocities, and impact angles. In addition, this paper used a new test protocol with 14 days (336 h) and 91 days (2184 h) of pre-exposure time of materials before testing. The results, which show significant changes in the erosive mechanisms of GFRP in short- and long-term pre-exposure time as a function of these variables, have profound implications for the design and performance of tidal turbine blades. The study also utilised scanning electron microscopy (SEM), depth profiling analysis, and erosion mapping techniques to compare the erosion behaviours of GFRP. These tools can be used to optimise such materials in tidal turbine conditions.

Miniaturized optical system of a laser seeker based on a dynamic and static performance co-design

The laser semi-active seeker, crucial for miniaturizing guided munitions, offers high precision, anti-jamming, and rapid response. Current research focuses on system response, spot parameters, and angular velocity accuracy. With small-caliber munitions on the rise, further miniaturization and weight reduction are essential. This paper proposes a design for an optical system that balances dynamic imaging quality and miniaturized static structure. Using quadrant detector principles, factors affecting detection performance are analyzed to determine the optimal spot size and imaging range. Based on imaging requirements and the optical properties of a dual-reflector structure, we determine the design parameters of the system to achieve a combination of dynamic and static performance. Evaluations using ZEMAX and MATLAB confirm that the system achieves ±4∘ linear and ±8∘ full fields of view, 0.12% distortion, 4.52 mrad angular accuracy, a 15.72 mm axial length, and has the possibility of actual production. The system is compact, with excellent spot roundness, stability, and uniform energy distribution, providing a reference for future guided weapon research.

All black: a microplastic extraction combined with colour-based analysis allows identification and characterisation of tire wear particles (TWP) in soils

While tire wear particles (TWP) have been estimated to represent more than 90% of the total microplastic (MP) emitted in European countries and may have environmental health effects, only few data about TWP concentrations and characteristics are available today. The lack of data stems from the fact that no standardized, cost efficient or accessible extraction and identification method is available yet. We present a method allowing the extraction of TWP from soil, performing analysis with a conventional optical microscope and a machine learning approach to identify TWP in soil based on their colour. The lowest size of TWP which could be measured reliably with an acceptable recovery using our experimental set-up was 35 µm. Further improvements would be possible given more advanced technical infrastructure (higher optical magnification and image quality). Our method showed a mean recovery of 85% in the 35–2000 µm particle size range and no blank contamination. We tested for possible interference from charcoal (as another black soil component with similar properties) in the soils and found a reduction of the interference from charcoal by 92% during extraction. We applied our method to a highway adjacent soil at 1 m, 2 m, 5 m, and 10 m and detected TWP in all samples with a tendency to higher concentrations at 1 m and 2 m from the road compared to 10 m from the road. The observed TWP concentrations were in the same order of magnitude as what was previously reported in literature in highway adjacent soils. These results demonstrate the potential of the method to provide quantitative data on the occurrence and characteristics of TWP in the environment. The method can be easily implemented in many labs, and help to address our knowledge gap regarding TWP concentrations in soils.

Exploring possible controlling factors of spatial distribution of microplastics in sediments of a river segment (Loire River, France).

Microplastics (MP) have been reported in many rivers across the globe but their depositional and archiving mechanisms in sediments are not fully understood yet. The aim of this study was to identify potential controlling factors of MP spatial distribution in surface sediment after a characterisation (sediment composition, hydrological conditions, sedimentary environment) of 14 sampling sites in an 8 km2 segment of the Loire river. Samples were collected from 3 sedimentary environments (sandbars, riverbanks and semi-active channels) with diverse flooding frequencies, grain size distributions and total organic carbon (TOC) contents. After treatment of sediment samples, MP concentrations and sizes were determined and polymer types identified by μFTIR (micro Fourier transform infrared) spectroscopy. After checking the influence of sample-scaled variability over river segment-scaled variability, MP concentrations were evaluated to 867-10,635 MP/kg of sediment dry weight (sed dw, size range 25-5000 μm) in the river segment. No environmental parameters were individually correlated with MP contamination in our study, possibly due to complex depositional environments in this river segment. A systemic approach however allowed insinuating that sediment composition reflecting hydro-morpho-sedimentary conditions can help to understand MP distribution in a river segment. A higher MP contamination observed in semi-active channel samples (median contamination value of 4797 MP/kg sed dw) could indicate that MP deposition is favoured in fine-grained (FGS) and TOC-rich sediment, reflecting less energetic hydrological conditions. Moreover, increasing flooding frequency seems to favor accumulation of MP only in the case of semi-active channels. On the contrary, less MP were detected in sandbars and riverbanks (median contamination of 1296 MP/kg sed dw), formed in higher hydrodynamical energy conditions. As a 10-fold variability of MP concentration exists in the study area, the importance of multiplying replicates even at the scale of a small river segment is underlined to access representativity of MP contamination.

DCS-YOLO: Defect detection model for new energy vehicle battery current collector.

The future trend in global automobile development is electrification, and the current collector is an essential component of the battery in new energy vehicles. Aiming at the misjudgment and omission caused by the confusing distribution, a wide range of sizes and types, and ambiguity of target defects in current collectors, an improved target detection model DCS-YOLO (DC-SoftCBAM YOLO) based on YOLOv5 is proposed. Firstly, the detection rate of defects with different scales is improved by adding detection layers; Secondly, we use the designed DC module as the backbone network to help the model capture the global information and semantic dependencies of the target, and effectively improve the generalization ability and detection performance of the model. Finally, in the neck part, we integrate our designed Convolutional Block Attention Module (SoftPool Convolutional Block Attention Module, SoftCBAM), which can adaptively learn the importance of channels, enhance feature representation, and enable the model to better deal with target details. Experimental results show that the mAP50 of the proposed DCS-YOLO model is 92.2%, which is 5.1% higher than the baseline model. The FPS reaches 147.1, and the detection accuracy of various defect categories is improved, especially Severely bad and No cover, and the detection recall rate reaches 100%. This method has high target detection model efficiency and meets the requirements of real-time detection of battery collector defects.

Portion Size Norms of Discretionary Foods and Eating Settings: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study

Background: The increase in serving sizes of energy-dense nutrient-poor discretionary foods over time, with attractively presented large servings and package sizes, has led to portion distortion and a new ‘normal’ for serving sizes. Little data exists on the variations of portion size norms of discretionary foods across settings. This study aimed to examine the differences in the range of normal portion sizes of commonly consumed foods between home and out-of-home settings (coffee shops, restaurants). Methods: A repeated cross-sectional design was used, with nine selected discretionary foods and beverages included in a validated online image-series questionnaire. Participants completed the questionnaire at two time points to report their normal portion sizes in home and out-of-home settings. Quantile regression models were used to examine differences in the range of normal portion sizes (17th to 83rd percentile, representing the majority of the study population) between settings. Results: A final sample of 295 participants was included in the analysis (51% females, mean age 40 ± 14 years). The ranges of normal portion sizes did not differ by settings for all test foods except for sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) tested in both containers and glassware. SSB showed smaller normal portion sizes at home compared to fast food restaurants (in a bottle/can and in a glass/cup; p &lt; 0.001). Conclusions: These findings suggest that the portion size norms of many discretionary foods are mostly consistent in home and out-of-home settings. As the typical serving sizes available to consumers in the out-of-home settings are large, it is essential to establish practical serving size guidelines directed at the food industry to increase the availability of smaller size options and empower consumers towards better portion control.

A 2D echocardiographic method for accurate right ventricular quantification using deep learning

Abstract Background/Introduction Transthoracic two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) remains the backbone for non-invasive assessment of the right ventricle (RV) size and function. However, calculation of RV end-diastolic (RVEDV), end-systolic volume (RVESV) and ejection fraction (RVEF) cannot be performed using 2DE due to the complex RV shape (1), whereas currently used, respective 2DE indices lack diagnostic accuracy. Deep learning (DL) may be able to assist in developing new 2DE methods for RV quantification. Purpose To develop a novel DL-based 2DE method for quantitative evaluation of RV size and function without geometric assumptions. Methods 50 adult patients underwent 2DE and CMR within 30 days as part of routine cardiac care between 6/2020 – 9/2021 at a medical center. We excluded patients with prior cardiac surgery of the RV, tricuspid or pulmonic valve repair or replacement, complex congenital heart disease, more than small pericardial effusion, cardiac tamponade, atrial fibrillation at the time of either study, severe RV dysfunction or inadequate imaging quality. End-diastolic and end-systolic areas derived from planimetry of 8 2DE RV views, along with patient age and gender, were to used to train and test a DL algorithm, namely the Feature-Tokenizer and Transformer (Figure 1) in order to predict the corresponding, CMR-derived, RVEDV or RVESV, and subsequently calculate RVEF. We used 5-fold cross-validation for training and evaluation. We assessed the relative importance of each 2DE view using gain metric-powered explainability analysis and subsequently performed a sensitivity analysis to identify optimal combinations of views. Variability analysis was performed for a random subcohort of 10 patients. Results Median age was 51 (interquartile range 32-62) and 42% were women. Mean RVEDV, RVESV and RVEF) by CMR were 163±70ml, 82±42ml and 51±8% respectively. Six patients (12%) had RV dilatation and 9 (18%) had RV dysfunction when using published CMR criteria. Explainability analysis showed that the 3 most important views were parasternal long axis (PLAX) (relative feature importance [RFI] = 0.197), 4-chamber (RFI=0.145) and parasternal short axis at the base (PSAX-base) (RFI=0.112). The 3-view combination of PLAX, 4-chamber and PSAX-base achieved high accuracy when compared to CMR (R2=0.964, absolute percentage error [APE]=8.09±12.07% for RV volumes and APE=9.86±10.68% for RVEF). Good (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]&amp;gt;0.75) to excellent (ICC&amp;gt;0.90) intra- and interobserver variability was found for these 3 views. Conclusions We propose an innovative, clinically applicable DL-based 2DE method for quantification of RV size and function that requires manual RV planimetry of 3 views, namely 4-chamber, PLAX and PSAX-base (Figure 2). This method may revolutionize 2DE RV assessment. Further studies with largest number of patients and wider range of RV size and function are needed to validate this method.Deep learning architectureGraphical abstract

Self-Adjuvanting Adenoviral Nanovaccine for Effective T-Cell-Mediated Immunity and Long-Lasting Memory Cell Activation against Tuberculosis.

An enhanced vaccine is immediately required to swap the more than 100 year-old bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine against tuberculosis. Here, trimethyl chitosan-loaded inactivated Mycobacterium smegmatis (MST), along with potent adenovirus hexon protein (AdHP), and toll-like receptor (TLR)-1/2 as a nanovaccine, was developed against tuberculosis (TB). The nanoformulation increased the bioavailability of MST and elicited the targeting ability. Nanovaccines have a size range of 183.5 ± 9.5 nm with a spherical morphology and uniform distribution. The nanovaccine exhibited a higher release of antigen in acidic pH, and this is mainly due to protonation of ionizable groups in polymeric materials. The nanovaccine facilitated the effective cellular uptake of bone-marrow-derived dendritic cells and progressive endosomal escape in a shorter period. In vitro analyses indicated that the nanovaccine activated cytokine and T-cell production and also assisted in humoral immunity by producing antibodies. The nanovaccine was able to induce more cellular and humoral memory cells and a better protective immune response. Nanomaterials effectively delivered the MST, AdHP, and TLR1/2 antigens to the major histocompatibility complex class I and II pathways to generate protective cytotoxic CD8+ and CD4+ T-cells. In vivo experiments, compared with free MST and BCG, showed that mice immunized with the nanovaccine induced more specific CD4+, CD8+, and memory T-cell activations. Overall, the fabricated nanovaccine was able to control the release of antigens and adjuvants and enhance memory cell activation and humoral immunity against TB.

Rapid Generation of Microplastics and Plastic-Derived Dissolved Organic Matter from Food Packaging Films under Simulated Aging Conditions.

In this study, we show that low-density polyethylene films, a prevalent choice for food packaging in everyday life, generated high numbers of microplastics (MPs) and hundreds to thousands of plastic-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) substances under simulated food preparation and storage conditions. Specifically, the plastic film generated 66-2034 MPs/cm2 (size range 10-5000 μm) under simulated aging conditions involving microwave irradiation, heating, steaming, UV irradiation, refrigeration, freezing, and freeze-thaw cycling alongside contact with water, which were 15-453 times that of the control (plastic film immersed in water without aging). We also noticed a substantial release of plastic-derived DOM. Using ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry, we identified 321-1414 analytes with molecular weights ranging from 200 to 800 Da, representing plastic-derived DOM containing C, H, and O. The DOM substances included both degradation products of polyethylene (including oxidized forms of oligomers) and toxic plastic additives. Interestingly, although no apparent oxidation was observed for the plastic film under aging conditions, plastic-derived DOM was more oxidized (average O/C increased by 27-46%) following aging with a higher state of carbon saturation and higher polarity. These findings highlight the future need to assess risks associated with MP and DOM release from plastic wraps.

Phylogenetic Insights Into Canidae Trait Variation Across Continents

ABSTRACTAimUnderstanding the spatial structuring of ecological communities involves considering the interplay between evolutionary history and environmental factors. This study investigates how the phylogenetic structure of Canidae influences the geographical distribution and trait patterns of lineages globally, and how these patterns relate to Bergmann's and Rapoport's rules.LocationAmericas, Africa, Eurasia.Time Period12 million years ago—present.Major Taxa StudiedCanidae.MethodsUsing distribution data and phylogenetic information for 37 Canidae species, we analysed key ecological, functional and evolutionary variables. We applied phylogenetic fuzzy‐weighting via principal coordinates of phylogenetic structure (PCPS) and variance partitioning analysis (VPA) to assess the contributions of phylogenetic structure and environmental factors to trait variation among species.ResultsOur results revealed distinct global patterns in body size, body weight, range size, habitat use and evolutionary distinctiveness among lineages. We also identified the shared contributions of phylogenetic structure and temperature to trait variation using variance partitioning analysis. The PCPS axes highlighted the influence of phylogenetic relationships on Canidae assemblages, particularly in South America.Main ConclusionsImportantly, the study challenges the applicability of Bergmann's and Rapoport's rules across continents. The unique diversification history of Canidae in South America and Africa and their diverse environmental conditions likely contribute to the observed trait patterns that make both continents so distinguished when compared to North America and Eurasia. Our findings underscore the need to incorporate phylogenetic information in models assessing trait variation across geographic scales for unbiased estimates.